VoiceOver Artist Commercials

I spend a lot of my day in a booth or a studio, doing a lot of commercial
work. In 25+ years, I've learned a few basic things when approaching
commercial copy.

To be fast at it is a real trick. You need to learn to quickly "get" a piece
of copy. Sometimes you may be reading an audition or going into a
casting for something. Or you may be hired and they bring you in and, the
copy could be completely different.

Your job is to make sure the 18 people behind the glass happy. When
they're all smiling and nodding, that's a good thing.

So get the piece of copy. Go through it quickly and try to figure out what
it is that you're selling. Is it an idea or a product? Or is it a mental state?

Going back to my old radio days, I'd always ask myself, "Who are you
talking to?" Visualize a specific person you're talking to. It's an old
trick and one that always works.

"Selling the sizzle, not the steak." We've heard that for years. But, it's
very, very true.

"Try to sell the smell" is another one I use sometimes.

Sometimes you may be just doing a tag. It may be three words. It may be
six words. It may be 60 seconds of copy. It all has to work.

I like to look at tags -- three seconds, five or six words that end the
commercial with your voice - as similar to a short putt in a golf game. You
can kind of wind up and smack it. And you know for the most part it's out
there. It's not a bad shot. Sometimes you're way off in the rough.

But it's the short little tags at the end that sometimes turn out to be the
best paying spots, when all you might say is, "Xerox". And that's it! One
word.

You have to really picture in your head who you're talking to. You're the
spokesman for the company. You're the spokesman for Xerox or Apple. You're the guy they hired to represent that company. So it's a real big
responsibility. They spend a lot of money on making these commercials.
And you're brought in to put a button on it.

In this business you go through the copy. And if it's not working, you
have to be able to adjust and change…sometimes very quickly. It's just a
skill that comes experience.

One of the big things I get asked is, "What's the toughest thing about the
business?" And I say, "It's being able to change quickly. Or to correct, if
it's not right."

If it's not sounding right, you need to recognize that it doesn't sound
right and then go back and fix it and make it sound better. That's a skill that just comes with doing it over and over and over again

A lot of times when you're in a commercial session, the directors and the
producers and the agency people behind the glass love that. If you're able
to adjust quickly, they know that they can work with you.

We've all heard of the notorious sessions of three or four words that go
on for an hour. That's happened. But it shouldn't happen. You should be
able to give them everything they need in about 10 minutes if it's three
or four words.

So be prepared, but also be prepared to shift and change. And it just
comes with doing it.

So, to recap, interpretation of the copy is very important.

Be willing to change direction on it. The agency may go a different way,
and you must be able to adapt and change with it. Maybe you need to
make your voice sound younger. Or make it older. If they want a 50- to 60-year old, you have to have that person in your head.

And you have to see the person you're talking to when you're selling something.

Wrap all those things into a ball and take this into the session with you.

If you're casting for commercials, know that that's what's going through
the voice of the talent's head.

If you're a voice in the commercial, acquire as many of those skills as you
can. In this industry today, it's especially important to be able to change gears fast. That's what you need to learn.

David Kaye (davidkaye.com) is one of of Hollywood's busiest voiceover artists (also known as voice over performer and voice actor). You've heard his voice on hundreds of radio and television commercials, TV network promos, animation, corporate narration...even video games. @ 2010 by David Kaye

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